Blood on Your Hands
by My Stiff Upper Lip
Summary: Buffy, Cordelia, and Willow run away to LA when they turn 18. They move in with three brothers, Xander, Spike and Oz. Romances fly! AU. Rating for sexual content in future chapters and cursing.
1. We'll Make it Together

**Full Summary**: Buffy Summers, physically abused by her father, runs away to LA with her two best friends, Willow Rosenberg and Cordelia Chase. Nearly destitute with only their packed duffel bags to call their own, they meet three brothers, Spike, Oz, and Xander Giles, in the local Waffle House who just happen to have an extra room in their house to rent out for cheap. Buffy gives in, feeling comfortable with the trio, and the girls accept. Almost immediately Willow, Oz, Cordy, and Xander find romance, while Buffy and Spike constantly fight. But when a nightmare from Sunnydale makes a guest appearance in Buffy's new life, who will Buffy ultimately turn to for comfort?  
  
**Rating**: _R_ for mild cursing, adult situations, parental abuse, attempted rape and rape issues, sexual content and anything else that's not _PG-13_ :) [some of what is mentioned comes into play in later chapters]  
  
**Spoilers**: None! Completely AU (and All Human). However, there are a few quotes taken from the show and placed in appropriate places throughout the fic. Maybe you'll even recognize them!  
  
**Any Remaining Notes**: Not everything about this fic coincides with BtVS, such as the birthdays of the girls, and obviously character personalities (Hank, Angel, etc...) Oh, and this story is loosely based on an idea I found in the "Idea Factory" at SpuffyFantasy.com Blood on Your Hands by Esperanza Sanchos  
  
_Prologue: We'll Make it Together_  
  


**(Current Date -- September 28, the day of Buffy's Eighteenth Birthday)**

  
  
"Buffy! I thought I told you to make me dinner!" Hank screamed from the couch in front of the TV.   
  
"I'm almost finished," she replied quietly, yet loud enough for Hank to hear. She scraped the last of the rice out of the frying pan onto the white plastic plate. Picking up his tray of rice, fried chicken, and a can of beer, she hauled over to the den where Hank was waiting impatiently.   
  
"I said I wanted grilled chicken, not fried! You bitch!" Hank screamed at Buffy.   
  
She could feel tears falling down her cheeks as she quietly told him, "There wasn't any grilled chicken at the supermarket. There was only fried chicken. I'm sorry."   
  
He stood up and walked over to her, slapping her across the face. "You mother fucker!" he bellowed. "You should have gone to another supermarket then! Don't you have any damn common sense!?"   
  
She didn't know whether or not to answer the question, unsure if it was rhetorical. When she didn't answer, he screamed more. Threw her around the room. Just like all the other times. But this time was different. This time -- Buffy wasn't going to take it. This time Buffy was going to make it end. This time was the last.   
  
Buffy looked around the room trying to find something to use in her defense. She grabbed the first thing she saw, a cheap lamp. Clutching this lamp, she struck Hank upside his head with such force that he immediately fell to the floor unconscious.   
  
Joyce, Buffy's mother, on hearing the crash and smash, came running in to see what the commotion was about. She saw Buffy holding a crumbled lamp in her right hand, Hank slumped over the coffee table, and she immediately pulled the lamp out of Buffy's hand, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "I'm so sorry baby, this should never happen to you. Never. I love you. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." Then Joyce almost inaudibly mumbled incoherent phrases in her young daughter's ear.   
  
Buffy held onto her mother, knowing that Joyce needed this embrace more than Buffy did. "Shhh… Mommy it's going to be okay. I love you, too. And I don't blame you, I don't blame you." She ushered her mother. "Mommy. I'm leaving. It's not because of you. I love you. I just can't be here anymore. I have to get away." She felt her mother nod against her shoulder weakly.   
  
"I'll come back to see you when I can." And then Buffy was gone.  
  


**(Three months earlier, Mid July)**

  
  
Hank had been his usual self. But he was out now, sleeping like a baby on the couch. Buffy opened the front door and walked down her front stairs. She walked to the sidewalk, where the tears began to fall. She walked for blocks, not caring that it was midnight. Not caring how insane she looked.   
  
She knew her mother tried to keep Hank from hurting her, but she just wasn't strong enough anymore. Each year Hank got stronger, even if it was just in theory. He hurt her more, he used harsher words. He became more easily provoked. Whatever it was, it was worse.   
  
She sat down on a bench. She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Her head dropped to her knees. She wasn't sure how long she had been crying when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the face of an angel. He sat down next to her.   
  
"Are you alright, miss?" he asked cautiously.   
  
She haphazardly wiped the tear stains off of her cheeks. She brushed her hair back a little, nodding at the same time. And she immediately began crying again.   
  
"My name's Angel." How ironic, she thought.   
  
"Buffy."   
  
"What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." This made her cry harder.   
  
She looked into his eyes, and for some reason she told him everything. She told him about her father, about her two best friends, Willow Rosenberg and Cordelia Chase, who had tried to make him stop, about her dog that Hank had accidentally killed in one of his moods, about everything. He sat there silently and listened as she converted her life into words.   
  
And before she knew what was happening she was following him home. He had offered her to spend the night, take a shower, and get a full night's sleep before she went back home.   
  
She watched him unlock the door to his apartment. 274. She watched as he led her inside. She sat down on his couch. He poured her a Heineken. She told him she didn't drink. He seemed to become upset for a minute, until he suddenly calmed.   
  
Then he attacked her. It was so unexpected, so startling.   
  
She struggled as he captured her lips and shoved her on the floor. She fell, him falling on top of her. He held her arms down to the floor while his lips perused her unwilling body. He let up on one arm as he ripped her top off her T-shirt. She was wearing a tank top on underneath. This annoyed him.   
  
While he was cursing over the strength of the tank top, she searched her options. Finding the Heineken bottle had fallen in her struggle to the floor, she grabbed it, knocking him over the head. This stunned him and pissed him off.   
  
As he drew away from her in pain, she ran for the door. Struggling with the lock, she became scared. She heard him scream behind her.   
  
She scrambled out the door as soon as the lock gave way. She was running to the stairs when she heard a door open. One of his neighbor's had awakened in the rustle. Angel stood in the hallway as the neighbor looked at him.   
  
"I'm calling the police, Mr. O'Connor! I heard you hurting that girl! You're going to go to jail!" Angel growled, changing his target, but the neighbor had already slammed the door and locked it, most likely calling the police at the same time.   
  
Buffy didn't care. She just kept running. She ran until she reached Willow's house. She knocked on her window. Again. And again. Until finally, Willow woke up and groggily stumbled over to it. She opened it, letting Buffy inside.   
  
"What happened?" Window asked, dazed, watching Buffy pace mindlessly across the floor of her room.   
  
"I can't stay here. I've decided it. I just can't stay here anymore."   
  
Willow could tell that this was serious, which almost immediately sobered her up from her deep sleep. "Hold on," she told Buffy. She picked up her cordless phone on her bedside table and dialed Cordelia's cell number.   
  
And Willow, Cordy, and Buffy sat. And they planned. Their birthdays were in three months. Cordelia's was ten days before Willow's, and Willow's was eight days before Buffy's. On Buffy's birthday, they would run away to Los Angeles. They would save up all of their money from working at the Double Meat Palace, and they would use that to get by until they got a job in LA.   
  
Buffy never told either Willow or Cordelia about what had happened earlier that night. They just held each other until they fell asleep.   
  
**Author's Note**: Sorry for the depressive nature of the first chapter, but it will get better! I mean, Spike's in the next chapter, so I must be better! :) please review!   
  
**Update Notice**: I was looking over these chapters and I decided to fix the few evident errors that I had made, and then repost them. So, if you've already read these first few chapters, they're a little different now. However, not much is pivotal (except in the next chapter where I previously had her former boyfriend as "Riley", it is now going to be "Scott" based on Scott from Season 3 -- this part of the notice will be repeated in Ch. 4). Just thought I'd make note of this. I also added the information about the story at the beginning of this chapter. :)  
  



	2. Waffle House Miracle

_Chapter One: Waffle House Miracle_  
  
**(Present Time Again, September 28th)**  
  
It was finally Buffy's birthday. That morning, Buffy, Cordelia and Willow had skipped school to pack for the move. They couldn't take much, only one bag apiece. First, they had gone to Buffy's house. Buffy had packed her most favorite items and her most favorite clothes, knowing that she wouldn't be able to go shopping for much in a long time.   
  
She had brought Mr. Gordo, her stuffed pig, her diary, her CD player and CDs, and a picture of her and her mother. She had known she couldn't pack many clothes, so she wore the only pair of jeans she would bring. She had brought light T-shirts and tank tops, a single sweatshirt, and her pajamas. She had also packed her make-up/jewelry box. She had thrown them all in her Nike duffel bag.   
  
Then they had walked over to Willow's house, which was only a few houses down from Buffy's, to pack her belongings. She had chosen some basic clothes, her witchcraft books and some expensive witchy things that she had bought in the past.   
  
Next was Cordy's. Of course, she had refused to part with most of her expensive apparel and make-up and general appearance products, including her shower, hair, and nail accessories and, of course, her jewelry. They had hidden their packed bags underneath the front porch of Cordy's house.   
  
At seven o'clock, while Cordy's parents were at Wednesday night Church service, Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia grabbed their bags and caught a ride with a classmate to the bus station.   
  
"Three tickets to LA," Buffy asked the ticket master. He handed her three bus tickets in exchange for her cash.   
  
"The bus will be leaving in 15 minutes, ma'am, so you may want to go ahead and board." He pointed in the direction of the bus. Buffy nodded politely.   
  
"Willow, Cordy - it's not too late to turn back. You can stay. Because you know, my life happens to, on occasion, suck beyond the telling of it. You may not wanna get the Buffy-esque agony that comes along with." Willow looked over at Buffy.   
  
"Oh, and let our best have the time of her life away from home? Yeah right! Besides, it's not like _I_ wanna stay with my parents either! I mean, it's definitely no Buffy-esque agony there, but my parents hate that I'm not of the Jewish persuasion anymore. They can't stand that I'm all into Wicca and stuff."   
  
"Yeah well, Wiccan stuff is kinda creepy, Willow," Cordelia admitted, "but, we love you anyway. As for you Buff. You know I've been dying to live in LA, and hey! Why not throw in my two best friends to go with me?"   
  
Buffy laughed. "Thank God for that. I'd hate to leave you two behind." She hugged her best friends.   
  
"And I'd hate to be left behind! That already happens enough when I'm right next to both of you guys," Willow said, referring to her lack of 'in the loop'-ness. Everyone giggled.   
  
**(After they arrive in LA)**  
  
"Oooh!" Willow squealed as they walked the streets of LA. "Waffle House! I love Waffle House. It's so waffley and yet nothing like a house." Letting Willow have the choice of dinner that night, the three girls walked inside and sat down in one of the booths.   
  
The waitress came up to them and asked what they wanted. Buffy ordered a waffle and a coffee, Cordy ordered a water (not really liking the whole Waffle House idea), and Willow ordered eggs and grits.   
  
Just then three guys walked in. They all had a similar look to them, but had their own unique appearance. The first one was tall and had dark brown hair and brown eyes. Then there was the one with bleached blonde hair and a tough look to him. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a black button up shirt (unbuttoned), and a black leather duster. He had 'big' and 'bad' written all over his black finger nails. The other one, who seemed tamer than the former had spikey hair and a light complexion. He was wearing a shirt that said "Dingoes Ate My Baby". How animalistic, Willow thought. Although she would admit that she definitely found him attractive.   
  
Buffy looked where Willow's eyes lead, and she saw the threesome walking in. She looked back at Willow and realized that she wasn't looking at the entire bunch, just the short one with spikey hair. "Does something strike Willow's fancy?" Buffy giggled.   
  
Willow looked at Buffy, blushing profusely. Cordy looked over to the boy. "You should go talk to him! I mean, he's obviously not my taste," Cordy said with a close to gross expression, "but I'm sure he's okay for you. It's not like he can shoot you down and then the whole town knows because, hey, we're new here and no one knows us. Nor do they care if you get shot down. Not that you would or anything. Nope. No shooting down of any kind."   
  
Willow scoffed. "Yeah right. When I'm with a boy, it's hard for me to say anything cool, or witty, or at all. I can usually make a few vowel sounds, and then I have to go away." The three girls giggled, knowing it was true.   
  
Buffy looked back over at the boys, and then hastily whispered, "Oh, well that's ok. Because two of them are headed this way."   
  
"Hello ladies. My name's Xander, and this is my brother Oz." The girls said hello back. "Oh, and that's Spike, our other brother, over there." He gestured back to the table where they had been sitting. Spike was taking a draw from a cigarette, his feet crossed and resting on top of the bench opposite to him, his legs stretched out under the table. Xander continued, "We noticed that you were carrying duffel bags, are you new to LA?"   
  
"Uhh… umm…" Willow tried to speak.   
  
"Yeah, actually. We're from Sunnydale. It's like two hours away. The place sucks. So we decided to come here," Cordy explained to the two guys standing awkwardly next to their table.   
  
"Ahh. I see. So, do you need a place to stay?" Xander asked.   
  
"Actually, we do!" Cordy exclaimed. She felt Buffy kick her underneath the table, giving her a we-don't-know-these-guys-we-shouldn't-be-talking-to-them look. "What? We do…"   
  
Buffy sighed.   
  
Unphased, and most likely not realizing the silent conversation between the girls, Xander continued, "Well we have an extra room at our house and we kinda need some extra money, so we could rent it out to you or something." Oz looked over at Xander oddly.   
  
Willow finally recovered from male presence, and replied, "I guess we could go check it out?" Cordy nodded her head. Reluctantly, Buffy agreed.   
  
"Well… it is big enough for all three of us," Buffy admitted as they looked around the brother's extra rooms. She looked over at the bleach blonde, who called himself Spike. He hadn't said a word since they'd met. Actually he hadn't spoken at all. She found him strangely attractive. He definitely wasn't her type though. Her last boyfriend, Scott, was the total opposite. Scott was young and naive, had naturally brown hair, and was, well, dull. He had actually dumped her because she wasn't "peppy" enough. Spike was definitely interesting, though. And alluring.   
  
Willow and Cordy agreed that the room was large enough for the three girls to live in. The entire room was empty of furniture, so they'd have to run to Goodwill and get some cheap ones, but otherwise, it wasn't too bad. The carpet seemed almost new and it was clean. And the windows had blinds on them. The closet was decent sized, and there was an attached bathroom.   
  
"So, you girls goin' to stay 'ere or not?" Spike asked.   
  
All three girls twirled around to look at him. "You're British?" they all asked at the same time.   
  
Spike chuckled. "Yah."   
  
"But Xander and Oz aren't, and you three are supposed to be brothers, right?" Buffy asked, obviously confused.   
  
"Our parents divorced when I was 2 and Xander was 3. Jenny, our mum, kept Xander here in the States, and my da, Rupert, took me back to England with him. Little did any of us know, but Mum was already pregnant with Oz 'ere. So he grew up in the States as well."   
  
The girls let out their 'ooh's.   
  
"So how come you came back to LA?" Willow asked curiously.   
  
"Well, pet, I hadn't seen my brothers in years, and I wanted to attend UCLA. So I left England and high-tailed over."   
  
Buffy found herself looking at Spike even after he had stopped talking. She traced over his cheek bones with her eyes. Too bad he wasn't her type, right? 


	3. Conversation over Coffee

_Chapter Two: Conversation over Coffee_  
  
Today was going to be a very busy day for the girls. Since they didn't have any furniture in their new room, they had slept in the den. Cordy took the sofa, Buffy slept on the love seat, and the guys had rolled in one of those foldable trundle beds for Willow. So, the first errand was to drop buy a Goodwill and buy some bedroom furniture.  
  
That morning while they ate breakfast, Buffy and Xander discussed the living arrangements and house rules. She had to write everything down because, first of all, she had told Willow and Cordelia that she would take care of all the particulars if Willow made Buffy a "to-do" and "to-buy" list and if Cordy promised not to spend all her money saved from working on clothes, make-up, and jewelry. They had both agreed.  
  
Besides, Cordy was in the shower and Willow was still sleeping. Xander, who was the eldest of the three brothers, wanted to get everything worked out before he headed off to work at his construction company.  
  
"So, what price did you decide on, Xander?"  
  
He paused. "Well, it's hard to decide when I'm unsure of what exactly you plan on providing for yourselves. I mean, if you don't want to buy separate groceries and what not, you guys can just eat ours, but then rent would be higher. But it's all up to you." He smiled warmly at her.  
  
"OK, how about this - we split the cost of food in half, the cost of heating and air in half, and the water bill in half. Then we pay a fixed rate each month for the room. I would offer splitting cable TV and telephone, but I don't think we're going to have time to watch TV, and Cordy, Willow, and I are already on a family share plan for our cell phones. Does that sound fair?" Buffy asked, hoping that he would agree, because she had estimated costs for the next few months, and even with minimum wage jobs, it was going to be tight.  
  
"Well, actually, I was thinking about this last night," _Oh, this can't be good_, Buffy thought, "And, you see, we never used the bedroom you're in now, which means you're really not taking anything away from us. Also, with the heating and air, the price isn't going to change if you move in. So basically, you're only going to be using a little more electricity than we're used to.  
  
"Seeing as there are three other bedrooms, mine, Oz's, and Spike's, one more bedroom and bathroom is then a fourth of the electricity. So you pay a fourth of the electric bill. As for water, splitting it in half sounds fair. Oh, and if you want to watch cable, go ahead. It's no big. And same with the phone. Like, if you run out of minutes on your cell, you can use ours anytime."  
  
Buffy was astounded at Xander's generosity. Most people would have jumped at the chance of taking advantage of the "first time away from home" scenario, but he hadn't. And he'd actually made a much better deal than she could've hoped for.  
  
"Why exactly are you being so nice to us? You could actually lose money if not break even with this arrangement. Not that I don't fully appreciate your hospitality..." she faded off.  
  
He looked at her. He glanced over her face. He could almost see the years of pain whittled into her face. The lack of sparkle in her hazel eyes was proof enough for him that the girls hadn't come to LA to have a new experience. If they had, they would've finished high school first.  
  
"I know you probably don't want to tell me about it, but, I know what runaways are. And, in the Waffle House, when Oz and I had walked over, our purpose had been to get your numbers. But when I noticed the duffel bags and worn out expressions, I decided that I wanted to look out for you three. And not in a pity or "you're inferior to me" kinda way. Just felt the urge to do something good. Y'know?"  
  
Overyjoed that he hadn't tried to turn this into the 'I could always let you stay here for free if you let me have sex with you' thing, her face cracked a naturally radiant smile. "You have the hots for Cordelia, don't you?"  
  
Xander chuckled. "It's that obvious, isn't it?" Buffy giggled and nodded happily.  
  
"She mentioned to me that she thought you were kinda cute. So, who knows!" She winked at him playfully.  
  
"Oh, and I think Oz has it in for Red."  
  
"Red? Willow already has a nickname?"  
  
"Yeah. Spike gave it to her." _Why didn't Spike give **me** a nickname_?, she thought. _Umm, maybe because he doesn't know you. And would you really want him to call you "Blonde"?_  
  
"Oh. OK."  
  
"Is 'Buffy' a nickname?" Xander asked.  
  
"No. My parents are psycho. I swear it sounds like a porn star's name. Reminds me of 'Bunny' or something."  
  
Xander laughed. "Yeah, we weren't sure about your's. But we figured we'd just let Cordelia go by Cordy. If you can't tell, we're big into the nicknames."  
  
"Well, I'm guessing yours is short for Alexander, right?" He nodded. "Well, where did 'Spike' and 'Oz' come from?"  
  
"Oz's full name is 'Daniel Osbourne Giles'. He didn't like the tameness of 'Dan' or the sophistication of 'Osbourne', so he chose 'Oz.' As for Spike... As he told you he lived in England when he grew up. He actually stayed at a boarding school in London most of the time, but whatever. So one night during a teacher's dinner or something, he snuck in to the kitchen and poured Vodka in the punch.  
  
"When the majority of the faculty gets drunk off of strawberry lemonade, people get suspicous. Someone had mentioned seeing him leave the building, not know what it was about. Word got around that he'd spiked the teachers' punch, and people just started calling him 'Spike.' And to think, he was only in the eighth grade and he was able to get a hold of Vodka!"  
  
Buffy laughed, seeing a preteen Spike getting the faculty of some prestigious academy completely shit-faced.  
  
Xander looked down at his watch, noticing that it was time to head to work. He said goodbye, telling Buffy to tell the girls good luck on their shopping today.  
  
**Review Responses**: _Ice Blue Rose_ - I actually based some of this story on an idea that I found on SpuffyFantasy, but I've changed it quite a bit since I started it. _To everyone else_ - Wow!! Thanks so much for your support!! You keep me writing :) I hope you liked this chapter, and keep reviewing!! THANKS AGAIN!! 


	4. Goin' Goodwillin'

**Author's Notes**: I'd just like to say, thank you so much for all of your reviews! I appreciate it so much! You have no idea how much it makes me smile when I check my mail and see email alerts that I've gotten another review. It really brightens my day! :) _wicked-angel3_~ I was bored with the "spiked hair" routine for how he got his name, so I decided to be creative. _Rogue Warrior Spirit_~ I definitely like to put in a lot of the cast. Even more to come actually. But, sometimes, I am forced to use original characters, which is always fun as well. I like to use BtVS characters more because the readers know who they are, and it tests my ability to capture their personality.  
  
_Chapter Three: Goin' Goodwillin'_  
  
"So what exactly did he say when you asked him if he had the hots for me?"  
  
Pause. "Cordy, I already told you," Buffy sighed. "He said, 'it's that obvious, isn't it?'." Cordy squealed.  
  
Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia were walking down the aisles of beds were for sale at Goodwill [**A/N**: For those of you who aren't familiar with "Goodwill", it's a thrift store that sells anything and everything clean/nice enough that's donated to be resold. Prices are extremely low]. They had been pleasantly surprised to find that all of the beds cost under twenty bucks, and the more "expensive" ones were in rather satisfactory conditions.  
  
"What about this one?" Willow asked, pointing to a twin sized bunk bed made of wood. Just as she did, the lady that had been behind the counter mysteriously appeared at their sides.  
  
She looked at them for a moment, before smiling. "Moving into a new place?" the woman asked, politely. Cordy, Willow, and Buffy nodded, unsure of what she was getting at. "Well, I'm not sure if this is the case," she began kindly, "but if you're planning on getting three beds to fit into one room, I have a wonderful idea for the furniture." Willow smiled at the woman, silently encouraging her to continue.  
  
"Well, personally I'd say the best way to go is with a bunk bed like that one there," she motioned to the one Willow had mentioned earlier, "and then a loft bed with a desk below it. It's more compact leaving the rest of the room for more important things.  
  
"So, if you're interested, a loft bed was just brought here this morning. It's built similarly to this bunk bed. The wood's a different color, so it'd probably look better if you painted them both. But, the price is very reasonable, _and_ it's a logical solution to staying in a small place for three girls." She smiled warmly at the three girls.  
  
You could tell that she wasn't just trying to sell the items, because you don't really need anyone to convince you to buy something at Goodwill - you either do or you don't, no sales-persony matters about it. She was just lending her thoughts in order to help some girls who looked like they needed it. And, fortunately, they did.  
  
"How perfect!" Willow cheeped. She explained to the nice Goodwill lady their situation. "We just moved in a house with a few friends where Buffy, Cordelia, and I," she motioned to the person as she spoke their name, "are sharing a single bedroom. So that applies perfectly! And it really makes a lot of sense. Don't you think so, guys?"  
  
Willow looked over at Buffy and Cordy excitedly, where both girls were lost in thought about what this furniture placement would look like in their new flat. They mentally decided it was a good option.  
  
"I know!" The woman proudly agreed. "My daughter just moved into a new apartment a few weeks before her university started last month. She and two girl-friends of hers moved in together since they couldn't each pay for one of their own. Unfortunately, with only their part-time waitressing jobs, they could only afford a one-bedroom. My husband and I tried to think of a way to make it more comfortable.  
  
"Together, we finally came up with an idea. So, they put a bunk bed against one wall near a corner in the room and a loft bed on the adjacent wall. Since there was an empty little square where the two beds met, she had her father build them a two level table. The girls at the top could put stuff on the top level, like a stereo or picture frames, or what not, and so could the girl on the bottom."  
  
"Ooo!" Cordy squealed, "that's sounds like so much fun! I think we should do it. I'm sure one of the boys wouldn't mind building us a table like that." The reasoning was brilliant! They had to buy these beds!  
  
Each girl looked at the others. "We'll take 'em."  
  
Content with their purchase of beds, they cruised the aisles of other donated furniture. Willow found some dressers, but the girls decided that they would just keep all of their clothes in the closet. The room would be cramped enough with three people living in it.  
  
Cordy expressed the deep need of finding a mirror for the wall. So they choose a large rectangular one. They also bought a large book case for Willow's ever growing collection of books.  
  
They still needed mattresses, but all three girls were equally disgusted at sleeping on a used mattress.  
  
Buffy squealed as they left Goodwill. She had told the woman that she would be sending someone by later to pick up the beds and things later.  
  
"Girls," Buffy gushed, "do you have any idea how much money we just saved? I set off more money than that for the furniture..."  
  
Willow giggled. "And it's not even like we were forced to settle! Our furniture is absolutely fabulous!" The girls beamed.  
  
"So, what next?" Cordy asked.  
  
Buffy checked her notepad where Willow had written down the "to-do" and "to-buy" lists. "Well, we need mattresses, obviously, and sheets for the beds and other necessary girls' room decorations." Buffy grinned brightly when she pictured the different décor for their new room.  
  
"Since we saved so much money on the furniture, is there any way that we can splurge on room wares?" Cordy pried hopefully.  
  
Pulling out her pocket sized calculator, like the nerd she _wasn't_, Buffy punched in a few digits, and smiled. "Oh, definitely!" she declared enthusiastically.  
  
**Five Hours After**  
  
"Oh. My. God."  
  
"How in the _hell_ are we going to be able to haul of this back to the house? I am _not_ taking this on the bus! Someone could steal something!" Buffy groaned. Why hadn't she thought of this sooner?  
  
"Do you think Spike would pick us up?" Willow asked. "Oz told me that he works at home. Maybe we could call him or something?"  
  
Buffy rummaged through her purse. "I have the number to the house around her somewhere..." she trailed off. "A-ha!"  
  
She dialed the number into her cell phone. "'ello?" spoke out, enticingly British.  
  
"Spike? Um, hey. It's Buffy and the girls."  
  
Pause. "Somethin' you need, pet?"  
  
"Umm. Yeah. You know how we went shopping today? Well, we accidentally bought more than we could carry on the bus," she explained, sheepishly.  
  
"Where are you? I'll come pick you up."  
  
"Oh! Thanks so much Spike! We're at," she looked around to see what store they were at. "Bed, Bath and Beyond."  
  
"Be right there, luv."  
  
**Around Ten Minutes After**  
  
"Cor, girls. Buy out the whole bloody store?"  
  
The girls blushed, looking at their feet. Spike snorted.  
  
"Alrigh'. Let's pack it up." They started loading all of their stuff into Spike's Desoto. There was so much that it filled not only the trunk, but the backseat as well.  
  
They had each bought matching sheets and comforters, lots and lots of candles, and some cute picture frames. Together, they had bought a rug for their bathroom, two lamps, a shower organizer, towels, closet organizers, a decorative clock for their wall, an electronic alarm clock, a chair for their desk, and a clothes hamper.  
  
Also, when shopping inside, they had decided on having a cute little sitting area on the other side of the room. So they had gotten a pastel orange throw and some cute pastel pillows to put up against the wall. That way, the didn't have to buy any extra chairs, and they could have a comfortable place to sit down and, maybe one day, watch a TV.  
  
They were all forced to ride in the front seat, because of the lack of space in the Desoto. Buffy climbed in first, seating herself next to Spike, then Cordy and Willow.  
  
As they drove back to the house, Spike turned on his tape player, the Sex Pistols filling the car. Buffy hummed along to the familiar tune, "I Wanna Be Sedated".  
  
Everytime Spike had to change gears, his hand would brush over Buffy's bare leg, causing her to squirm, but not because she was grossed out by his touch. She observed his hand: strong and lean, the tips of his fingers callused from playing the guitar. His nails were chipped slightly of their black nail polish.  
  
Her eyes travelled up his wrists, past his arms where he had pushed up the sleeves of his black cotton shirt to his elbows. He was wearing black pants with a three-row pyramid studded belt wrapped loosely around his slim figure. His feet filled large, black combo boots. She watched his lips as they silently sand along to the music. Soft, slightly pink lips. Very kissable lips.  
  
And his eyes! oh, she could swear that they were bluer than the sky -- that deep darkness of it right before a harsh April rain. His eyes held such mystery. Buffy wanted to know everything about them, everything about him.  
  
She felt Cordy elbow her in the side. She looked over at her to glare for the puncture when she noticed Cordelia's smirk. She leaned in to whisper in Buffy's ear.  
  
"Someone's got a crush," she sing-songed.  
  
Buffy's slanted eyes and dark frown immediately made Cordy snicker.  
  
Spike's eyes ventured over for a second at the two girls having a silent conversation before returning to the road.   
  
**Detailed Note about Characters/Characterizations**: If you haven't noticed so far, I'm basing Buffy, Cordy, Willow, and Oz on their personalities in seasons one and two (and some parts of season three). I haven't decided on which seasons to base Xander on, but I'm thinking the early-to-middle seasons, even though he has the construction business, and he poses as the "adult figure" for the three brothers, being the eldest. As for Spike, it's sort of a bizarre compilation of all the seasons' appearances.  
  
Concerning other Buffy- and Angel-verse characters in later chapters, they will be based on a compiled effort of the shows, especially characters from "Angel", (as I'm not an avid watcher, they will be based on the impressions I've gotten from the 20-something episodes I _have_ watched)...The only purposely incorrect characterizations are/will be Angel's and Riley's. Angel's character resemble a mild/human Angelus. As for Riley - I'm going to emphasize his extreme "Captain Cardboard"-ness, and his trained puppy dog act. He will be a purposely flat and dry character. Just thought I'd bring that to your attention! :) 


	5. A Home Cooked Meal?

**Review Responses**: First of all, multiple kudos to the readers who have reviewed more than once!! That's so sweet of you! OK, now for the individual review responses, this is kinda odd, but instead of taking up sooo much room on here, I've decided that I'm going to post all of my individual review responses as a review! So in each chapter update, I'll list which reviewers I have a response to, and if you see your screen name, or if you're just interested in what I have to say to them, check out my review page. I think that this will make it much more manageable. But, if no one likes that idea, I won't repeat it. :) So tell me if you approve! Tonight, I have responses for _IceBlueRose_, _cosmo-girl-us_, _Noel aka Buffster3000_, _Wicked-Angel3_, and _Critic-Girl_.   
  
**Author's Note**: Just like the review responses, I'm going to post all of my other author's notes in the review section as well. I hate how it takes up so much room on updates. So, in order to be up to date on everything, you're going to have to check out my review page. Sorry if this annoys you, and if it really annoys a lot of you guys, I won't do it for the next update. I just think that overall, it will be easier for the both of us. So on my chapter update, I will say who I wrote individual responses to and what my author's notes are about... :)  
  
_Chapter Four: A Home Cooked Meal?_  
  
On the way home, Cordy spotted a yard sale in the front lawn of a family's house. She ordered Spike to pull over. There, she bought a cute long but not very wide table. Since there was no room in the car, they had to tie it upside down onto the roof of Spike's car. Spike laughed at the absurdity of it all. His rough car looked hilarious, filled with pink and pastels.  
  
When they arrived home, Spike helped the girls unpack their new things and move them into their bedroom. Working with what they had, the girls decorated. They figured out where the beds were going to go, and worked around it. Luckily, they walls didn't clash too much, painted a faint grey. Cordy's sheets were a pastel pink, Willow's were a light green, and Buffy's were a soft blue. They brought their new table from the lawn sale in the backyard, where they planned to paint it, along with their desk chair.  
  
Inside, they hung their mirror above where they planned on placing their new table. "WAIT!" Willow screeched, scaring the other two girls. They watched her as she jogged into the hall and rummaged through her duffel bag. She pulled out an off-brand disposable camera. When she returned, she took a picture of Cordy hanging the mirror.  
  
"This is our first place away from home. We _definitely_ need pictures of it." Buffy and Cordy laughed. Willow had always been attached to events like that. And she loved taking pictures. That way, she would never forget anything, not matter how trivial it had felt at the time.  
  
They took turns taking pictures as they decorated the room. They set up their little sitting area. Cordy brought out a picture album she had packed. Together, they sat down on their floor and picked out their favorite pictures, deciding which ones to put in their new picture frames.  
  
Buffy chose a picture she had brought herself -- one of her and her mother. She was around 10 and her mom was looking radiant in the summer sun. It was her favorite picture of them together. She placed it in her favorite frame. It was blue and sparkly. She also chose a picture of her, Cordelia, and Willow dressed in their Prom dresses from last year's prom, putting it in a pink frame with a cute flower boarder.  
  
Willow chose a picture she hadn't seen in a long time. It was of her, her mother Sheila, Buffy, Joyce, Cordy, and Cordy's mother Pheobe. Sheila, Joyce, and Pheobe were brand new mothers -- and Willow, Buffy, and Cordy were brand new babies. On the back, someone had written, 'Cordelia Chase - 22 days, Willow Rosenberg - 12 days, Buffy Summers - 4 days'. She put it in yellow frame with little sunshines on it. She also pulled out a picture of her own -- she was on stage during a student recital in the middle school playing the piano. She placed it in a green striped frame.  
  
Cordy took forever before choosing a picture of herself at her last beauty pageant. It was last summer. She was wearing a light pink gown that, of course, looked breathtaking on her. She showed Buffy and Willow which picture she had chosen, and they all began laughing. Just a few minutes after that picture was taken, she had been pronounced "Miss Teen California". That's when "the most horrifying moment", according to Pheobe Chase, had occurred.  
  
Cordelia had been asked to say a little something concerning her new title, and when she walked up to the podium, she looked near the back of the room where Buffy and Willow had been sitting, and were now hooting and hollering for her victory. Cordy smiled at them and waved most flamboyantly -- which was considered the most un-Pageanty like thing to do. She took off her tiara and "Miss Teen California" sash and gently placed them down on a nearby table. Even now, Cordy could still remember everything that happened.  
  


**(Last Summer, at the Miss Teen California Pageant)**

  
  
"Um. Hi. My name's Cordelia Chase. Well, obviously. Yeah..." she trailed off, glancing back at her best friends, who were laughing in the confusion of it all. She smiled at them. "My two best friends are in the back. Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg." Buffy, loving the anti-Pageant feelings that were surfacing through the start of Cordy's escapade, stood up, grabbing Willow with her, and they waved as everyone turned around to see who they were. Laughing, Buffy bowed as hundreds of faces were watching her every move. Cordy chuckled lightly from up onstage, bringing everyone's attention back to her.  
  
"By looking at them," she continued, "you wouldn't think I would associate with them, right? It's not that they aren't beautiful or anything, because they both are extremely gorgeous. It's not because Willow's a brainiac and because Buffy's just plain creepy. And it's definitely not that they don't have the 'pageant potential' or anything superficial like that. It's the total opposite. It's because they _aren't_ superficial.  
  
"I'm not sure how we stuck together all our lives, even through our...," pause, "well really 'their', awkward years," insert a loud Buffy-snort coming from the back rows. "But we did. And, well, it's amazing that they let me hang out with them, let alone be their best-friend. Here I am, strutting my stuff across a makeshift scaffolding in a dress that no one should wear even if it looks good on them, with complete strangers judging me. Complete strangers!  
  
"I never really got it until now. Year after year, audition after audition, pageant after freaking pageant, Buffy and Willow made innocent cracks at my waste of time for this sorta thing. They didn't mean anything by it, and it couldn't be an insult if it was the truth, right?  
  
"But, right now, I have something to admit. The girl that you've seen up here isn't Cordelia Chase. The girl you've seen is some fake bimbo who wants to win so bad that she's painted herself over to be the girl you want to see. And, well... I hate it. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it before. But I hate it now.  
  
"So, I'm declining this so-called 'honor' of being named this year's 'Miss Teen California' and passing it on to Harmony Kendall, the runner-up, and deserved winner of this title."  
  
She had walked off stage, grabbing the skirts of her dress and holding them up, making her way towards her friends in a very unlady-like run. Her curled hair fell out of its strategic up-do. Her expensive shoes clanking mindlessly against the tiled floor. They linked arms and left the building laughing hysterically. Her mother had wanted to die.  
  


**(Present Time)**

  
  
Cordy held the picture in her hand and sighed. "That was a sight to see."  
  
"Amen to that sister!" Willow screeched, still in the fits of laughter.  
  
After they had finished decorating their room, Buffy called a mover's company and hired two men to run by Goodwill and pick up their beds tomorrow and bring them to the house.  
  
"Do you really think the boys will build us one of those double-layered tables?" Willow asked.  
  
"Oh! I hope so," Buffy said.  
  
"Ooo! Great idea surfacing. Let's cook them dinner to bribe them into making us one," Cordy exclaimed.  
  
"Umm.. Cordy, honey. You've forgotten that Buffy and cooking are two very un-mixy things."  
  
"Well, then, you can set up the table and watch Willow and I cook."  
  
"Sounds great! Let's do it!"  
  


**(Around 5:30 That Evening)**

  
  
"Mmmm," Xander said, as he walked in after work. "Something smells really good."  
  
Buffy, Willow and Cordy were setting the food down on the table. There were mashed potatoes, green beans, and chicken.  
  
"What's the occasion?" Xander asked.  
  
"No occasion. Just felt like serving up some dinner for you boys," Cordy told Xander, smiling at him flirtingly.  
  
"Oz! Spike!" Buff yelled upstairs. "Dinner's ready!" Both boys jogged down, excited to eat a home cooked meal.  
  
As they sat down at the kitchen table, Spike said, "This is definitely something I could get used to." The girls smiled proudly.  
  
They sat around talking casually for a while after they had finished eating the meal the girls had cooked.  
  
"So, now we know that Oz is still a senior in high school. But what exactly do you and Spike do for a living?" Cordy asked Xander.  
  
"Well, I used to work for old man Harold at his construction business. But, when he passed away, they told me that he had left the business _and_ his money to me. I had no idea! He didn't have any relatives or anything. So I took over."  
  
"Wow. Lucky you," Buffy said. "So what about you Spike? Any dead people leave you a bundle?"  
  
"Nah. I graduated from UCLA three years ago. I'm a free lance writer for horror-mystery novels."  
  
"You graduated three years ago?" Buffy asked, thoroughly confused. "But I thought you were twenty-one?"  
  
"That I am, luv. I graduated high school at sixteen, two years early. And then I finished college in two years. So I finished UCLA at eighteen."  
  
"Holy shit," Willow murmured.  
  
"Yep. Spike here's the prodigy of the Giles clan. Just like ole Rupe!" Xander exclaimed proudly, patting Spike on the back.  
  
"So, you girls decide where you're going to apply for a job?" Oz asked.  
  
"Anywhere but fast food," Buffy said. All three girls moaned, Willow and Cordy nodding their heads in agreement. Willow had randomly decided to do a lab on the Double Meat Burger, being the school nerd she was, where she figured out that it wasn't even "single meat". It was all vegetarian, but they had been charging for the price of beef.  
  
They had told the manager, and he admitted to knowing about it, making them swear not to tell anyone. They had only stayed there because it paid well, and they really needed the money.  
  
The boys exchanged looks, but decided not to ask.  
  
"Willow, you're into the whole Wicca, supernatural stuff, right?" Oz asked her.  
  
Willow immediately perked up. "Yeah!"  
  
"Well, our mom, Jenny, owns this little store called 'The Magic Box.' She sells all sorts of witchy things. She mentioned needing an assistant. I'm sure she'd love to hire you." Oz smiled encouragingly at Willow.  
  
"Really?" Willow asked. She had to admit, this job really interested her. "That sounds great!" Oz smiled again at Willow's response, causing her to blush.  
  
"Well, I thought about getting a job in a boutique or something," Cordy shared. "What about you, Buffy?"  
  
"You know, I haven't really thought about it that much."  
  
Just then, the doorbell rang. "That must be Devon and Anya." Spike jumped up and walked over to the front door.  
  
**Editing Note** and **_Chapter Two_ Mistake Notice**: Two very important notes on the review page. Check it out!! 


	6. New Jobs All Around

**Review Response**: Nova, IceBlueRose  
  
_Chapter Five: New Jobs All Around_  
  
Buffy sat in bed the next morning thinking silently. She recalled the events that had happened last night. The girls had met a very blunt and bubbly Anya Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Devon MacLeish. A little after they had shown up, Owen Thurman, who all three girls thought was a total hottie, and his really ditzy but extremely fun, long-time girlfriend, Harmony Kendall, [A/N: I'm going to use Harmony's good qualities in this].  
  
Apparently Oz, Spike, Devon and Owen were all in a band together called Dingoes Ate My Baby. Oz played lead guitar, Spike was lead vocals, and Devon played the bass guitar and sang back-up vocals (and whenever they needed it, he played the piano as well), and Owen was the drummer. They'd been playing for a couple of years, starting as a cover band. Their popularity grew, and people started asking for original songs. So Spike started writing lyrics for the band while Oz, Devon, and Owen each worked on writing the music.  
  
Buffy learned that Anya was a fashion designer for her women's apparel line Emmanuella. It was a fun early twenties aged fashion line that was dedicated to keeping things level. She wouldn't hire any models who didn't have either a GED or a high school diploma and was currently attending college. Apparently, Emmanuella had a great reputation as well. By the end of the night, Anya had hired Cordelia after she had explained that one of her models was pregnant and had just started to show, so she needed someone to fill in for advertisements.  
  
She explained to Cordy that she would be considered to be a permanent model if she agreed to finish high school with Anya's personal friend, Winifred (or just "Fred") Burkle, a professional tutor. Fred was the fiancee of Wesley Wyndam-Price, who just happened to be the band's manager. Cordy had agreed happily.  
  
Buffy stared at the ceiling and smiled, remembering that Cordy wasn't the only one who was offered a job. That night, Fred and Wesley had come over as well when Anya had called to tell them that even though the band had planned to practice that night, they'd all gotten sidetracked with the boys' new house-mates, and it had turned into a sort of party. The couple had shown up minutes later.  
  
They had all been sitting around talking when the conversation turned to how Buffy was good with numbers and organization. It was obvious that Xander was hinting towards Wes giving her a job, which slightly embarrassed Buffy. But Wes excitedly exclaimed, "Oh is she now? Because I still haven't found anyone for my secretary's position." And the rest was history.  
  
Buffy turned when she heard the alarm clock sound. Willow groggily pulled back her covers. She was meeting Jenny today. Cordy joined suit, and stood up to run to the shower first. Willow, too tired to argue, let Cordy take hers first. Cordy was going in for her first day at her new modeling job. Then, after that, she and Fred were going to go over what she needed to finish to graduate high school.  
  
Buffy got up and trudged into the kitchen. She pulled out a plastic bowl from the cabinets and a box of cereal, and poured the cereal in the bowl followed with milk. She was reaching for a spoon out of the utensil drawer when she heard Spike walking down the stairs.  
  
"Good mornin', luv."  
  
She spun around to find Spike, clad in only his boxers, looking sexier than ever. She was so surprised from seeing him like that that she dropped her plastic bowl of Cheerios on the kitchen floor. Immediately blushing and rushing over to the counter to grab the paper towels, Buffy stuttered out, "Oh, I'm s-so sorry. Y-you s-scared me."  
  
Spike chuckled, stooping down to the floor to help her clean up the mess. "Are you sure it wasn't the sight of my impeccable abdomen and sexy morning hair?"  
  
Buffy paused, looking up at him like a deer in headlights. Seeing her embarrassment, Spike quickly added, "I was only joking, pet."  
  
Buffy nodded weakly.  
  
After the mess was cleaned up, she quickly scurried back to her room, not even bothering to get something else to eat for breakfast. She could hear Spike sigh quietly behind her as she left.

  
  
"OK, Buffy, so do you understand everything that I just told you?" Wesley asked as he finished explaining about what she would need to do as his secretary.  
  
Buffy nodded gingerly. She was ready to get started. She quickly picked up the scribbled papers that Wesley had given her and started typing them up. After working for a few hours, Wes knocked lightly on her new office door. Buffy looked up at him and smiled.  
  
"Hey, Buffy. It's about time for lunch break. I'm meeting Fred and Spike at Zeke's Smokehouse, if you'd like to join us? We'd all love to have you." Buffy agreed, grabbing her coat.   
  
Spike and Fred were waiting for Buffy and Wes to arrive at Zeke's, making light conversation. He looked at the door when he heard her laugh at something Wes had said as she walked inside. He was struck by how beautiful she looked. Having wanted to look nice for her first day on the job, Buffy borrowed one of Cordy's BCBG outfits. It was a black flowy-ish skirt with cute blue and white flower design on the front-left side of the skirt. She wore a white V-necked tank top, and a light-weight, white button jacket with a flower pinned to it. She was taller than usual in her classy, black high-heeled sandals.  
  
He felt his heart skip a beat, and his breath retreated.  
  
Fred, seeing the two walk in, stood up, kissing her fiancee on the cheek and hugging Buffy like an old friend. "Hey Buffy! I'm so glad that you came with." Buffy smiled back at the beautiful woman.  
  
"I'm glad that I was invited. I honestly had no idea what I was going to do for lunch. I don't know any of the hot spots here in LA." Buffy took a seat inbetween Spike and Fred. She looked over the menu and realized that she should only be paying for a drink, it was so expensive, but she didn't want to look bad, so she decided she'd splurge for a garden salad and apologize to the girls later.  
  
After they'd ordered, they began light conversation about how Buffy liked working at Wes' place, and how she liked LA so far.  
  
"So, Buffy, I don't understand why you left Sunnydale in the middle of the school year? You didn't get kicked out or anything, did you?" Fred asked, jokingly.  
  
Buffy laughed. "No, I'm just your regular high school drop out, I guess. Home life wasn't too grand, so one night Cordy, Willow, and I decided to skip town and start all over."  
  
Spike looked over at Buffy, knowing that she was hiding something, but also realizing that she didn't want to talk about it.  
  
After everyone had finished eating, Buffy excused herself to the ladies room. When she returned, they were waiting for her at the table. She looked around for her check, but didn't see it.  
  
"Oh, I picked up your bill," Spike explained as Fred and Wes walked away.  
  
Buffy looked over at him, "I'll pay you back."  
  
He shook his head. "No, you won't."  
  
"I don't need charity, Spike. I can pay for my own lunch," she gritted out defensively.  
  
Spike took her hand and softly replied, "I didn't pay for it because I thought you couldn't, I did it because it's not everyday that I have the chance to pay for a ravishing young woman's lunch." He paused as he watched her face convert from pissed off to touched. "Besides, I felt bad for making you skip breakfast because of my dashing good-looks." He winked at her.  
  
Buffy blushed profusely, but let him guide her outside, still holding her hand.  
  
When they reached where their cars were parked, Wes spoke up, "Um, Buffy, I forgot the Fred and I had a wedding appointment, so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind getting a ride with Spike back to the office?"  
  
Buffy looked at Spike to make sure it was ok with him, and nodded at Wesley.  
  
When Spike and Buffy were both in his DeSoto, Spike turned to her and whispered, "Buffy, you look radiant today."  
  
Buffy blushed slightly before mousing out a weak "Thank you, Spike."  
  
They rode the rest of the way back in silence. When Spike had pulled up to the Wes' office's parking lot, he turned again to Buffy. "Buffy, I was wondering if you might want to check out our band tonight. We're playing at Backstage Cafe, and I'd really enjoy it if you came to hear us. It's a really big gig."  
  
Buffy smiled at Spike and said, "I'd love to." 


	7. The Luckiest

I just couldn't wait to get this chapter out. So here it is. I'll be updating more frequently now.

_Chapter Six: The Luckiest_

When Buffy got home, she was greeted with two nervously excited girls. Cordy exclaimed, "We heard that Spike invited you to the gig tonight. Well, Xander invited me and Oz invited Willow. And we have nothing to wear." She stopped momentarily to breathe. "We've been waiting for you to get home so that we can go spend my first pay check on our dresses we're going to wear tonight. So lets get our asses out at the mall."

Cordy had already been in a photoshoot that afternoon, and she had been paid at the end of it. So they currently had $2,345 to spend, although Cordy probably wanted to save some of it. [A/N: I'm not really sure how much you get for a modeling job, so -- don't judge!]

After many hours of cruising through the mall, Willow had picked out a cute, off the shoulder black dress www . geocities.com / mystiffupperlip / dress3 . jpg, without the extra spaces (ff.net won't let me write out hyperlinks). Cordy picked out a soft, light pink tube top dress2 . jpg. Buffy had chosen a beautiful red dress, (which I can't do justice by writing about, so please look at it on my website dress . jpg The girls rushed home so that they could get ready for the big gig that night.

"Aren't you girls ready by now?" Spike called. "We have to leave in a few minutes to set up." Just then, Buffy walked out in her new maroon dress. Her golden hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She had on modest nude eye-makeup and matching bright maroon lipstick. She looked fabulous.

Spike's breath stopped as he looked her over. "Too bad you don't have a bowl of cereal to drop, huh? But I guess your jaw will just have to do," Buffy teased Spike seductively. He coughed and turned around, hoping she wouldn't see the evidence of his attraction to her.

Spike looked great as well. He was wearing black slacks, a tight black shirt, his triple row pyramid studded belt, his black combat boots, and lots of silver bracelets.

Just then, Xander jumped down the stairs. He looked Buffy over, kissed her on the cheek and said, "You look great, Buff. I love the dress on you."  
  
Buffy smiled at his compliment. "Thanks, Xander! You look great as well." He was wearing black slacks and a white button down shirt.

Oz and Xander did double takes of their dates as well when Cordy and Willow walked out of their room. Oz looked handsome in dark blue jeans and a black muscle-shirt with a British flag on it. The boys were trying to control themselves when the doorbell rang, Anya and Devon ready to pick them up to head over to the club.

Spike was sitting next to Buffy in the limo on their way to Backstage Cafe. Buffy could tell that he was really nervous. She placed her hand softly on his upper thigh. He looked over at her, and she smiled encouragingly. She leaned in to his ear and said, "Don't be nervous. You're going to be great."

He looked at her before replying, "I'm not afraid of our performance, I'm afraid of the reaction."  
  
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.  
  
"You'll see."

"Dingoes Ate My Baby" had already performed three songs, and the audience was loving them. Buffy had danced for a few of the songs, but she was growing tired and sat down at their table. She sipped at her beer as she watched Spike perform. (When they had walked in with the band, no one had questioned their age.) 

The current song had just ended when Spike paused for a second. "This is a cover of a Ben Folds song that I'm dedicating to a special girl, Buffy Summers."

Devon played the opening chords on the piano before Spike started singing.

**I don't get many things right the first time.  
In fact, I am told that a lot.  
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls  
Brought me here  
And where was I before the day  
That I first saw your lovely face?  
Now I see it everyday  
And I know that I am, I am, I am the luckiest**

Spike paused and looked into Buffy eyes as he sang to her. He poured his heart into the words as he sang them.

**What if I'd been born fifty years before you  
In a house on a street where you lived?  
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike... **

Suddenly, Spike noticed someone talking to Buffy. But then he wasn't talking anymore.  
  
(Across the room, right before the song)

Angel stood in the club enjoying the good music. He hadn't heard music like this in a long time. The band seemed pretty cool. They had just stopped their last song when the lead singer started talking. He heard him say, "This is a cover of a Ben Folds song that I'm dedicating to a special girl, Buffy Summers."

Angel smirked to himself. So, this is where Buffy went. He had seen on the news about two girls running away, a girl named after a tree and someone else. They had been last seen with Buffy, and were thought to have left with her. The mom knew something about Buffy, but wouldn't talk.

"I guess I'll just have to pay a little visit." He followed the lead singer's eyes and saw Buffy sitting there, with a goofy grin on her face.

He walked over and saw she was drinking beer. He remembered her saying to him that she didn't drink. Oh well, he thought. He ran to the bartender and ordered a Heineken. Hope she'll remember this, he thought.

He walked up behind her, dropping the Heineken on the table. "I bet you would much rather drink a Heineken instead of a Michelob. I mean, it brings back such memories!"  
  
Buffy gasped and turned in her seat. She saw who it was and immediately jumped up to run away. Angel grasped her arm, he was too strong.

Spike stopped singing when he saw Angel grab Buffy. He jumped off stage and ran to her as he saw Angel slap Buffy across the face. Spike pushed Angel off of her and didn't hesitate to punch him in the jaw. Angel fell to the ground. He looked over at Buffy. Her cheeks were stained with tears and bruised from the impact of Angel's hand.  
  
Spike protectively grabbed Buffy, gently of course. "Are you ok, baby?" Buffy nodded.  
  
"Let's get out of here."

Spike was in the girls' room, holding Buffy in his arms on her bed. She quietly cried into his eyes. He knew that there had to be a story behind this man from the club, but he wasn't going to pry. He just held her, kissing her hair and telling her everything was going to be just fine. 

The door thrust open, ten concerned people standing in the doorway. Willow and Cordelia rushed to Buffy. Spike slowly lifted her out of his arms, helping her to sit on the edge of the bed as the girls embraced.

Anya, Harmony, and Fred walked over slowly and stood next to them in case they were needed. Spike stood up and walked over to Xander, Oz, Devon, Owen, and Wes to explain and ask how the rest of the concert had gone.  
  
"We wanted to leave when we saw you guys go, but we had to stay for the rest of the concert. Devon took over leads and Oz took over back-up," Wes explained. "It was kinda awkward at first, but we picked it back up, and the audience still loved them. So it was all good."

"The girls didn't have any money with them for a taxi, so they waited on us," Oz said.  
  
Suddenly, Buffy spoke up. "I have to tell everybody something." She looked desperately at Spike. He saw and ran up to her. He held her hand as they left the girls' bedroom and went into the den.  
  
Everyone sat down randomly over the couches and the floor. Spike sat down in the recliner, pulling Buffy on his lap.  
  
"Everyone deserves to know the truth. I haven't told anyone about this, so I'm telling you now."

And she told them, word for word what happened. The girls cried, Spike was too angry to speak, Xander was in awe of Buffy's strength for the past months. No one knew what to do. Except Buffy. She fell asleep in Spike's arms, obviously exhausted by the night's events.


	8. Let Me Ease Your Pain

**Review Responses** for: _feistypumpkin_, Crystal, Spuffy101, Olive Oil, _Lady Starlight so kiss my ass_, and a general response to all reviews! :)  
  
_Chapter Seven: Let Me Ease Your Pain_  
  
Buffy awoke in her warm bed. She searched her room for her alarm clock to see what time it was. It blinked back at her obnoxiously. It was 2:36 AM. She sat up slowly in bed. Have you ever felt that ache in the middle of your body, where you know that it's not possible to be from physical pain, but it almost feels as if it is? Just because the emotional torment is so obtrusive that it seems to pour over from one alternate universe to another? Seems almost impossible, but she could feel it.  
  
Buffy glanced over at Willow. Her eyes were closed in her sweet comatose oblivion. Below, she could hear Cordelia snoring. She quietly crept down the ladder of her bunk bed, sighing with relief that it didn't squeak. Looking down at herself, she realized she was still wearing her new red dress. She silently changed into her pyjamas- a thin pink tank top and pink plaid boxer shorts. After changing, Buffy tip-toed out into the hall.  
  
She suddenly found herself at the door of Spike's bedroom. She looked around, shocked, unsure of how she got there and when it even happened. She almost turned back, but she needed someone to talk to. She knocked lightly on his wooden door. She heard him murmur an enticingly British "bloody hell" before the door opened.  
  
Expecting a half-asleep, sexily bed-roused Spike, Buffy was surprised to see him fully dressed _and_ wearing glasses. Realizing who it was, Spike immediately ripped off his glasses, and shoved them in his pants pocket. His former "brassed-off" expression had been replaced with a soft, unique smile laced with slight concern.  
  
"Pet, why are you awake at this hour?" he asked tenderly.  
  
"Can I stay in here with you?" Buffy asked. "I mean... I'm not sure if I can sleep, but... I just need some company." Her eyes were pleading with him to say yes.  
  
"Of course, luv."  
  
Buffy entered Spike's bedroom. She looked around his floor, seeing papers scattered all around in a semi-circle. An acoustic guitar was lying next to them, and a music stand stood tall nearby. "Were you writing music?"  
  
Spike nodded. "I just finished it." He paused for a second. "I actually wrote it for you. It's a sort of letter, I guess." Buffy smiled at him.  
  
"Can I hear it?" Buffy asked him. He nodded silently.  
  
Buffy sat down on Spike's bed, immediately sinking down awkwardly. She giggled, realizing that it was a water bed. Spike looked at her and chuckled along with her.  
  
Spike grabbed his guitar, sitting in a near by chair. He selected a few pieces of paper and placed them on the music stand. He strummed a few chords before he sang:  
  
**We met oddly at Waffle House,  
Seems like only a few days ago.  
I would never have guessed that  
You hid a world of hurt and torment  
Behind delicate features and amiable ways.  
You ran away from your mother,  
Your friends and your memories…  
Not a moment too soon.  
Only lived to eighteen -  
And yet you've survived more than Moses.  
I don't know how you did,  
But I know that underneath  
You need someone to wipe away your tears and your grief.  
  
So, please… please…  
Let me ease your pain.  
I know it must be hard to keep going  
But let me be there for you please.  
  
You've been abused by a monster,  
But I won't let him hurt you again.  
No matter what you believe,  
Your safe with me 'till the very end.  
This may be the wrong time to tell you -  
But I think I am falling for you hard.  
I know you are strong and able...  
But I want to cradle you in my arms.  
  
So, please… please…  
Let me ease your pain.  
I know it must be hard to keep going,  
But let me be there for you please.  
  
Let me ease your pain...Ease your pain...I want to ease your pain.  
Let me ease your pain...Ease your pain...I want to ease your pain.**  
  
Spike strummed a few more chords, before he finished his song. He had been watching Buffy's face the entire time he had been singing to her. He wasn't sure what she was thinking though, and that made him feel very apprehensive.  
  
"Buffy?" he inquired, softly.  
  
Buffy stood from Spike's bed and walked delicately over to his chair. She picked up his guitar, placing it on the floor. Reaching for his hand, Buffy gently pulled Spike up to stand. He stood there, staring at her, into her sea green eyes. He felt her let go of his hand.  
  
Buffy took both of her hands and placed them on both sides of Spike's face. She pulled his face down to hers, guiding him to her lips. When his mouth first met hers, he was surprised by her advance. He quickly recovered though, snaking his arms around her waist and kissing her back.  
  
Buffy's hands traveled from his cheeks, down his neck, and to his hard chest. Spike's muscles spasmed at the unexpected, yet welcomed, touch.  
  
Spike pulled away, remembering that her feelings were very tender right now. His thumb stroked her cheekbone. He pressed his lips to her forehead before whispering, "It's time to sleep now, luv." Buffy nodded idly.  
  
Spike guided Buffy to his bed, climbing on first. When she had laid on top of his bed, her back facing him, he scooted behind her. He wrapped his arms around her protectively. He kissed her lightly on the neck, whispering a "good night, pet" in her ear.  
  
And then they both drifted peacefully into sleep.

**A/N**: Awww! Their first kiss!! :) I hope you liked this chapter. Explanations to what happened between Angel and Buffy during their conversation at the club will be in the next chapter. It will be less depressing. 


	9. You've Got to be Kidding Me

Author's Notes: #1--I've found the best way to do this: author's notes in the chapter and the list of who I wrote a RR to, and then the reviews to a chapter would be responded to in a review _I_ write for the following chapter. (Which I still find to be very creepy…) #2--I know I promised this chapter to be in sooner, but I had some problems with deciding if this was the way I wanted to go, (I wrote this chapter without preconception of it's content). After much speculation, I decided that this was, in fact, what I wanted to do. So, I hope you like it.

**Review Responses **for: _cosmo-girl-us_, _Tikkika_, Spuffy101

_Chapter Eight: You've Got to be Kidding Me_

Buffy opened the refrigerator door, looking for something good to eat for breakfast. Finding nothing, she huffed, grabbing her usual box of Cheerios. She poured a bowl for herself, and plopped down at the kitchen table. She heard the front door open and close. Looking up, she saw Spike. She blushed, remembering how she had kissed him last night. She was lucky that she woke up alone in his bed - no awkward "morning after" (in the kiss sense...) conversations. He had scribbled down a note and left it on the pillow next to her.  
  
_Buffy - I had some errands to run. Wes called to say that you have the day off. He'll call you later to see when you want to start back. Call my cell if there's an emergency. -Spike_  
  
Then, almost unnoticed, she saw at the bottom where he had written, "Last night was wonderful." Buffy had reread that statement so many times before she finally got out of bed. She had taken her shower and gotten dressed, waiting for Spike to return. Now that he was here, she wished he wasn't. She had no idea what to do.  
  
But, all was well because... neither did Spike.  
  
Spike smiled awkwardly at Buffy as he walked in the kitchen. "Did you get my note?" he asked her, turning toward the cupboards.  
  
"Yeah. That was nice off Wes to give me the day off."  
  
Buffy got up, remembering the package of strawberries. She chose a few to put in her cereal. While she was cutting them into smaller pieces, she accidentally slipped and cut her finger. She yelped out in pain.  
  
Spike, who had poured himself his own bowl of Cheerios and was currently eating them at the kitchen table, jumped up immediately, concerned. He rushed over, seeing the blood. He grabbed her hand and washed it out in the kitchen sink.  
  
"Stupid knife!" Buffy exclaimed.  
  
Spike chuckled, after he saw that she was alright, receiving a glare from Buffy. "It's not the knife's fault, ya know."  
  
"Yes it is! If it weren't so... slippery! Yeah! If it weren't so slippery, this wouldn't've happened." Buffy knew how ridiculous she sounded, but she was mad that Spike had to take care of her like this.  
  
Spike smiled. "You're such a baby," he teased.  
  
"I am not!" Buffy argued, making Spike laugh. "Hey! It's not funny! I'm in pain here." He nodded, faking a serious face.  
  
Focusing back on her cut, he let the water run over it. Then he washed it with some soap sitting next to the faucet. He let his fingers linger over hers longer than necessary. He instructed her to keep her hand where it was while he went to get a Band-Aid. He wrapped the Band-Aid gently around her cut.  
  
"Better?" Spike asked her. Buffy silently shook her head 'no'.  
  
Spike brought her hand to his lips, and kissed it softly on top of her Band-Aid. "And now?"  
  
Buffy felt the mood change in the room almost immediately. So, she looked at him seductively and shook her head again.  
  
He backed her against the counter, placing his hands on her hips. He leaned in to her ear. "And what would make it all better, Buffy?" he purred. He felt her shiver. He took her earlobe in-between his teeth and gently nibbled on it. She gasped. Scott had never done that. She loved the way it felt.  
  
"You like that?" Spike asked. Buffy moaned in response. Spike's tongue trailed down from her ear to her neck, where he sucked lightly on her skin. She instinctively arched her neck, giving him more access. His left hand traveled behind her and under her tank top, his fingers drawing small circles on her back.  
  
Buffy's small hands wrapped themselves around Spike's neck, holding him at her own. Suddenly, Spike stopped everything. Buffy whined. He kept his left hand on her back, backing up a little. Buffy opened her eyes to find Spike smirking at her.  
  
"Well, I guess you feel better..." Spike said, matter-of-factly, letting go of her entirely. "I think I'm going to go watch some telly now." He headed over to the den, but before he could sit down in the overstuffed chair Buffy had grabbed his arm, pulling him back.  
  
"Yes?" he asked her. "Something you want?"  
  
"Yeah." She paused. "You." Then, taking control of the situation, she pushed him down onto the chair he had been planning on sitting in anway. A surprised look crossed his face, but it was shortly replaced by his usual smirk. Buffy climbed on his lap, kissing him eagerly. She could feel his hands snake around her waist, pulling her down on him. Buffy's hands traced the lines of his abdomen through his tight black T-shirt, causing him to shudder. When their mouths parted, both were breathing hard.  
  
"Buffy," Spike rasped out, his voice husky. "Oh god. You drive me crazy. I want you so bad." Buffy had never heard such need in a man's voice before. She blushed slightly, not used to being wanted that way.  
  
Still gripping her waist, Spike rubbed her against him. He breathed in her ear, "Can you feel how much I want you? I can get myself off just by looking at you. Just imagine what it's like for me when you're actually participating." Buffy's chest heaved from her ragged breathing, her breasts rubbing against Spike's own chest.  
  
"Spike, I want you too." Her hand glided over his chest. "Spike." She paused. "I want you to touch me... like no other guy has. I want you to make me scream."  
  
"Oh god." He pushed her off of him gently, forcing her to stand up. He got up as well, leading her up the stairs to his room. Buffy lay down on his bed. He climbed on top of her.  
  
His mouth captured hers in an erotic dance. His right hand gently squeezed her right breast, causing her to squirm in delight. He kept his left hand on her waist. He kneaded her breast through the fabric of her clothes, her back arching to him. Her pelvis rubbed against his, causing him to moan loudly. He broke their kiss, letting his mouth travel down her neck, down to the valley between her breasts.  
  
"Bloody clothes." He pulled her tank top off over her head with a little difficulty. He stopped when he saw her in her white lacy bra. He began breathing harder than before. He slipped his hand behind her, unhooking her bra. She helped him slide it off of her. He looked over Buffy's upper body, perky and begging for his touch. "God, you are so bloody perfect."  
  
Just then, the phone rang. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," Spike muttered.  
  
Buffy smiled at him. "Go answer it. It could be important." He leaned down and kissed her on the lips before jumping off the bed to answer the phone.  
  
Spike picked up the receiver. "This better be important." Pause. "Oh, hey Wesley. Uh. Yeah, she's here. Hold on, let me go find her." He put the phone on hold. He turned to Buffy. "It's Wesley. You wanna take it?" he asked her.  
  
"No, not really. But I should." She stuck her hand out, waiting for the cordless phone. At the same time, she shyly put her bra and shirt back on. "Hey Wesley."

Ending Note: Ooo! Spuffiness -- But beware, I love conflict and since I am the God of this Buffy-Verse (well, sort of), there will be conflict. But it will all work out in the end!! I hope you liked this chapter. It's short, but I wanted to set it off from everything else. The next chapter will have all the Scoobies. So review and tell me whatcha think :)


	10. Goin' Bowlin'

Author's Note: Sorry, the past week has been hell! I'm stuck in the middle of final exams! Grrr. It wouldn't be so bad if I weren't failing all of my classes, y'know? Haha. I'm such a doofus. Oh well. So, sorry for the delay, my dear readers! :(

No personal review responses due to stress, and lack of time…there will be for the next chappy though.

Chapter Nine: Goin' Bowlin'

"So you're starting back at work tomorrow, Buff?" Xander asked.

"Yeah. There's no reason to take another day off." Buffy noticed Xander and Cordy exchange looks. "I mean," she continued, "yeah, last night was a little stressful and definitely not of the good, but moping about would be like letting him win."

"Um, speaking of battles, Buffy, maybe we should talk about reporting his attempted rape and then the harassment in the club. What he did was wrong, and I don't want it to happen again." Cordy held back tears.

Buffy walked over to Cordelia, hugging her. "Honey, we'll figure everything out. For now, let's just take it easy. OK?" Cordy nodded.

"Hey!" Cordy exclaimed jokingly, "I'm supposed to be the one comforting you, not the other way around." The girls giggled.

Just then, a very peppy Willow burst through the front door. "GUESS WHAT!" she screamed. Cordy, Buffy, and Xander all looked at eachother before laughing.

Willow smiled cheerfully and continued despite the laughter, "Jenny got me enrolled in Eleanor Roosevelt Senior High School!" [**A/N**: not an actual high school, I tried to find a real one, but it was hard since there are over 50 public high schools in LA] "She's even going to contact our old school to send the transcripts. She's going to try not to cause any trouble or anything. I'm so excited!" Willow was practically gushing. "I'm going back to high school!"

Everyone was in fits of laughter now. Only Willow would be excited to return to further education. Oz walked inside the house carrying a new book bag and other school supplies. Willow gasped. "Oz! I totally forgot about those. I'm sorry!" She ran to help him carry the new things and put them on the kitchen table.

"It's not a problem, Willow." Oz smiled sweetly at her.

Willow turned back to the others. "Jenny, Oz, and I went school supply shopping since I hadn't brought any of my school stuff with me." She sighed. "I love going school supply shopping."  
  
Oz looked around the room. "Where's Spike?"

Xander replied, "Oh, he's in the shower."

Buffy blushed, thinking of Spike hot and wet in the shower. Naked. Water droplets falling over his flawless skin. She suddenly remembered a quote from Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo says "See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!" When she had first read that, she had thought it was blatantly lame, but now she realized what Romeo had been going through -- for right now, all she wanted to be were the water droplets in his shower.

Just then, Spike wandered down the stairs, clad in a white towel wrapped around his waist. His blonde hair appeared darker when wet as it fell haphazardly around his well-structured face. The muscles crossing his chest and abdomen, which she had so intimately traced what seemed to be only moments ago, flexed and twisted as his body strategically, yet mindlessly, maneuvered down the stairs. The water droplets, which she envied more than ever, fell down his chest, his arms, his legs, everywhere all over his perfectly formed body.

Spike caught Buffy checking him out, and he smirked at her. She turned crimson almost immediately, suddenly transfixed completely with an old stain on a kitchen floor tile.

"I 'eard screaming. Everyone alright?" Spike asked.  
  
"No! I'm so not alright!" Willow hollered. "Your wonderful mother got me enrolled in Eleanor Roosevelt Senior High School starting Monday."  
  
Spike smiled at the redhead's vehement love for learning. "Well, that'll be fun for you and Oz to have something to do together during the day, while us hard working chaps are off bringing in the dough." He winked at her.  
  
"Oh! Spike! I'm still going to be working at the Magic Box after school and on the weekends! I still have to bring in my share of the rent." Willow sighed. "But that's okay, because I'm going to classes on Monday! Yipee!"  
  
Oz chuckled. "She's been like this since my mom told her about it. Six hours ago." Willow looked at him sheepishly. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but Oz stopped her. "Nuh-uh. No apologizing. We're happy that you're happy. Right guys?" Everyone nodded in agreement. Willow looked pleased.  
  
"So it's a Saturday night. What are we gonna do?" Buffy asked everyone. Eager for any conversation to keep her mind out of the gutter, and to make her forget that Spike was _still_ standing there practically nude. And the worst part was that he knew it was killing her to see him like that.  
  
"I say we go bowling!" Cordy shrieked excitedly before running through the doorway of their room, obviously in order to change.  
  
"I agree," Buffy added quickly before running to the room, but for a different reason. 'Too can play at this game,' Buffy thought, as she got ready to go bowling.  
  
Buffy, Cordelia, and Willow all stepped out of their room, ready to go. It was the boy's cue to gawk. Willow was wearing a light green tank top and a blue jean mini-skirt. Cordy was wearing a pink tube-top and khaki capris. Buffy had strategically chosen a black v-neck halter-top that showed enough cleavage to entice but didn't make her look like a total skank. She also wore a pink mini-skirt with black polka dots on it.

Buffy pulled her tight-fitting, light-weight black leather jacket over her, knowing it was getting a little chilly out that night. The girls, completely oblivious to the male reactions, continued outside.

"Who's car should we take?" Oz asked.

"Well, it'd be crowded if we all tried to fit into one, so how about I drive my jeep and you, Willow, and Cordy ride with me and then Spike can drive him and Buffy in his piece of shit." He winked at Spike.

"My baby is no piece of shit. It's a classic. Unlike that lame American "SUV" you have," Spike bit back.  
  
"Great come back, Spikey," Buffy laughed, patting him on the shoulder as she made her way to his car. That's when Spike realized that he and Buffy would be riding alone to the bowling arena. Suddenly, he didn't care if Xander made fun of anything of his. He smiled and followed the slight girl to his car.

"At least you know when to back down!" Xander called after him. Spike's only response was flipping him the bird.

During the car ride, he could tell that Buffy was up to something. She wouldn't talk to him, or even look at him. But every now and then she would lick her lips seductively or shift in her seat causing her skirt to ride up her thighs. It was hell for Spike the entire drive over.  
  
When he finally pulled into the parking lot of the bowling alley, he jumped out as soon as he could, walking directly into the alley. Buffy grabbed her purse, and ran after him, trying to catch up. "What's the rush?" she called after him.  
  
Spike turned around. He rolled his eyes, realizing that she was indeed playing a game.

Just then, the others appeared. "How many games should we pay for?" Everyone looked over the price board against the wall.

"Let's play two!" Willow chirped.  
  
Buffy looked down in her wallet. She only had so much cash that she could spend on personal fun. "I can only afford one game."  
  
"I'll pay for you." Buffy looked over at Spike, almost astonished.  
  
"No, that's alright. I'll just sit out for the last game."

"No. I said, I'll pay for you," he gritted out.  
  
"OK, fine! But you don't have to be all cross about it!"

Everyone exchanged glances, not knowing what was going on. Shrugging it off, Willow paid for her shoes and two games. But then Oz told the cashier that hers and his were together, and so he ended up paying for Willow's. Xander followed suit and paid for Cordelia's as well. Spike slammed down the cash on the counter, barking quietly at Buffy, "What size?"

"Six."

"Buffy, you're up next!" Buffy smiled. She and Spike were in the lead, battling against each other. It was the tenth frame, and Buffy had 156 while Spike had 163. Buffy knew that she just _had_ to win this game. She sent her bowling bowl rolling down the lane -- strike. Perfect! Since it was the tenth frame, she was given another ball. She bowled a nine. Damn it!

Spike stood up, picking his bowling ball before swinging it into the lane. Strike. Buffy knew she had to do something.  
  
"These shoes are really hurting me," Buffy complained.  
  
"You could go ahead and take them off, that was our last game." Buffy nodded. She placed her leg on the seat she was standing near. She leaned forward, tracing the length of her leg with her hands. She glanced quickly in Spike's direction to make sure he was watching. He was. She slowly untied the first bowling shoe, and laid it down on the floor next to her. She watched him as he prepared. She had to think fast.

"Willow! Oh my gosh! I think I got a bruise on my thigh. Look!" Buffy pulled her already short skirt up to expose more thigh. She pointed to a place on her leg.

Willow looked at her. "Um, I don't see anything."  
  
Just then Xander scolded Spike for taking so long. She looked up at him. He was definitely off. She could see him inhale sharply right before he sent the ball rolling. HA! Gutter ball.

Buffy started jumping up and down when she realized she'd won. Unfortunately, that didn't help Spike's condition either. "Oh, bloody hell!" he cursed. "Buffy we need to talk." He grabbed her arm and dragged her outside, leaving the others to wonder what the hell that was about.


End file.
